Background

From the November 4, 1944 edition of the Williamsport Gazette and Bulletin:

RADIO CHART LISTENING POST

Another quartet of distinguished experts will bring commentary, criticism and analysis to "The World's Great Novels," presentation of the NBC University of the Air (Saturdays, 7 p.m., EWT). They are James Hilton, Dr. William A. Nielson, Roland Young and Katherine Anne Porter.

Hilton, new in Hollywood working on films, rocketed to fame as the author of "Lost Horizon" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips." He was born in England, and also authored "We Are Not Alone," "Random Harvest" and "The Story of Dr. Wassell."

President of Smith College from 1917 to 1939, Dr. Neilson is one of the nation's leading educators. A native of Scotland, he has taught at Harvard, Columbia, Bryn Mawr and the University of Paris. Author of a host of books on English literature, editor of many others, he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Young, distinguished actor of stage and screen, was born in London and educated at University College and the Academy of Dramatic Art. He has appeared in scores of plays and motion pictures, is noted for his droll humor.

Miss Porter, twice winner of the Guggenheim Fellowship, is well known for her short stories latest of which is "The Leaning Tower." Among others are "Noon Wine", "Flowering Judas", "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" and "The Itching Parrot." Dates of their radio appearances will be announced later.

"The World's Great Novels" is the literature series of the NBC University of the Air, of which Sterling Fisher is director. Margaret Cuthbert supervises the series and Frank Papp directs production.

NBC-Red's NBC University of The Air wasn't just a promotional gimmick. From the outset, NBC set out to underwrite a series of educational, uplifting and historically accurate sustaining productions of the highest production values and integrity. Between 1923 and approximately 1948, the NBC University of The Air, serving as NBC's educational component, introduced all manner of educational programming over its system to both the U.S. and Canada, "as a public service of the National Broadcasting Company":

1923-1926 NBC University of The Air Talk

1925-35 NBC University of The Air

1928 Music Lectures

July 6, 1942 The Lands of The Free(NBC Inter-American University of The Air)

NBC's Blue network also participated in NBC University of The Air productions, but the primary impetus for NBC's educational programming over this period came from NBC Red flagship station WEAF and its affiliated NBC-Red key stations, such as WMAQ, Chicago.

NBC University of The Air introduces The World's Great Novels

NBC-Red key station WMAQ, Chicago was responsible for much of the educational programming that NBC broadcast throughout the Midwest, over the entire NBC Red network and throughout much of Canada.

With the reinauguration of NBC University of The Air (and NBC Inter-American University of The Air) on July 6, 1942, NBC directly collaborated with colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada to help create curricula that would grant higher-education credits for some of the University of The Air programming. This collaboration continued through approximately 1948.

NBC University of The Air's The World's Great Novels, while not the most enduring of the NBC University of The Air runs, was certainly one of its most ambitious. Running for some one-hundred and forty-nine episodes, the series aired for four complete seasons between October 14, 1944 and July 23, 1948. During that period, The World's Greatest Novels aired a total of sixty, single-episode and multi-part dramatizations of the world's greatest novels (as cataloged in the sidebar at left).From the March 25th 1945 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal:

Classics Hold
Readers' Loyalty

Library Reports on
World's Great Novels

"It was good reading in 1847, and it's just as good today." This statement, made of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre," and similar claims for dozens of other classic novels, are backed up by everyday experience at the Madison Free library, according to Margaret Nordholm, head of circulation.
Books in a table exhibit designed to accompany the radio series, "World's Great Novels," WIBA, 10:30 p. m. Fridays have been borrowed so fast that they must be replaced almost daily with other copies or titles, staff members find. All five copies of Thackeray's "Vanity Fair" are out, for example, and all four Dostoevski's "Crime and Punishment." Although the exhibit was intended primarily to include only the single works dramatized in the radio series, it has been necessary to include other works by the same authors in order to represent them.
This popularity is not a temporary one due to the radio program or to the exhibit alone, Miss Nordholm said. When the exhibit was put up, it was found that not one of the library's seven copies of Hugo's "Les Miserables," or one of the three of Tolstoi's "Anna Karenina," was on the shelves. Although there are two copies each of Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," Wharton's "Ethan Frome" and Voltaire's "Candide," none of these titles could be immediately represented in the exhibit, as they were being used by library patrons.
Current demands may keep five copies of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" in circulation, but the serious reader need draw no conclusion that the best novels of earlier decades and centuries have gone out of fashion. It is just as hard to find one of the nine copies of "Jane Eyre" on the shelf, and 10 copies of Sinclair Lewis's "Main Street" are none too many to meet the demand. Even 3-inch thickness and small type do not daunt Madison readers; five copies of Galswoj-thy's "Forsythe Saga" and four of Tolstoi's "War and Peace" are usually in use, and are borrowed more often than many a slender volume.
Replacements have to be made early every year on some of the more popular titles, Miss Nordholm said. Fresh copies and new editions of books like "Moby Dick" and "Pickwick Papers" arrive from the booksellers along with such new titles as "Cannery Row" and "The Green Years."
Foreign novels in English translation do not suffer by comparisons with English and American classics, circulation records show. Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" goes out as promptly as that sturdy native, "Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain. Several copies of "The Count of Monte Cristo," by Dumas, have been reserved recently by people whose interest had been kindled or revived by its recent dramatization in the radio series.
A copy of the handbook for the radio program, "World's Great Novels," is on display at the city library with the books. Other novels dramatized in the series which are not mentioned above are the following: "Don Quixote," by Cervantes; "Gulliver's Travels," by Swift; "Tom Jones," by Fielding; "Heart of Midlothian," by Scott; "Pere Goriot," by Balzac; "Scarlet Letter," by Hawthorne; Mayor of Casterbridge," by Hardy; "My Antonia," by Cather; "Emma," by Austin; "Types," by Melville; "U. S. A.," by Dos Passes; "Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard," by France.

TO MANY people, higher learning means a long, complicated process, including registering for courses, payment of tuition, and dreary attendance at long-winded, esoteric lectures; but to those who have discovered the NBC UNIVERSITY OF THE AIR during the past five years or so, it means no such thing. You need go no further than your favorite armchair, and flick the switch of your radio for much of the instruction generally considered as part of a college education. And not only is it all far from dreary, but millions of people listen just for the sake of interest and entertainment. Of course, this University gives no degrees, not by itself, anyway, but it certain ly imparts knowledge in an organized, progressive fashion.
The NBC University of the Air was the first attempt in American network radio to provide systematic instruction in a carefully balanced variety of subjects. supplementing present classroom instruction at schools and colleges throughout the land. As a result, many important educational institutions require their students to use these programs as part of their studies in various fields. Independent study and discussion groups are basing their activities upon the series, in addition to schools and colleges which have developed courses around the "University"granting credits toward a degree just as in any accepted course.
A still more formal aspect of education is carried on by NBC in cooperation with big universities to give instruction by radio. NBC organized the first of its summer radio institutes in conjunction with Northwestern University back in 1942. The following year, two institutes were inaugurated on the west coast in cooperation with Stanford University and the University of California. Then in the fall of 1943, Columbia University and NBC established a School of Radio as a part of Columbia Extension services, which has continued with great success up to the present, and is recognized as one of the biggest factors for the betterment of radio as a whole.
This does not mean that the University of the Air is suited only for people who want to pursue serious study. On the contrary. All the broadcasts are presented in such a way as to provide fine entertainment in addition to information, and the listener response to many of the programs is a good indication of its surprising popularity. That education has wide appeal as presented by the "university" is best demonstrated by the fact that OUR FOREIGN POLICY, one of the present series, has often hit a 6 or 6.5 Hooper rating, while one broadcast reached as high as 8--all of which compares quite favorably with so-called "entertainment" programs, not only on NBC, but on other networks.
The University of the Air is not content with broadcasting good educational programs, but follows through on additional services. In the field of home economics, for example. the series HOME IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT offers individual handbooks for background reading in six different classifications: Homemaking General, Housing, Food, Clothing, Children, and The Family, which are sent free to listeners upon request. Most of the other fields covered by the "University" also offer at least one handbook.
In only a little more than five years, the University of the Air has produced more than twenty-five diffrerent series of broadcasts. An example is the weekly music period which has run through highly diversified cycles such as: MUSIC OF THE WORLD, FOLKWAYS IN MUSIC, MUSIC AT WAR, STORY OF MUSIC, and others including the current CONCERT OF NATIONS. The NBC University of the Air started back in July 1942 with a series of historical programs titled LANDS OF THE FREE.

Later in the year, it launched MUSIC OF THE NEW WORLD. The following year, the "University" moved on into political and economic affairs with the series FOR THIS WE FIGHT, written and directed by Arch Oboler. And in 1944, the rounded structure of five weekly broadcasts was completed by adding the fields of literature and home economics. THE AMERICAN STORY by Archibald McLeish, one of America's great poets, was presented in the literature category, to be succeeded by the WORLD'S GREAT NOVELS, which continues today with increasing popularity.

OUR FOREIGN POLICY (Sun. 4:30·5:00 PM, EST) a forum program from Washington, D. C. with leading statesmen as debators; moderator is Sterling Fisher, who is also director of the University of the Air.YOUR UNITED NATIONS (Wed. 11:30.Midnight, EST) dramatizing problems connected with U.N. with Andrew Cordier and guest speaker.CONCERT OF NATIONS (Thurs. 11:30·Midnight, EST) presents music of various nations played by American and Canadian orchestras.WORLD'S GREAT NOVELS (Fri. 11:3o..Midnight. EST) offers detailed dramatizations of fine literature, adapted by top writers and actors.HOME IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT (Sat. 11.00·lI::JO AM, EST; 4:30·6:00 PM in New York only) concern various aspects of home and the family. dramatized with narration by Ben Grauer, and directed by Jane Tiffany Wagner, NBC Home Economics head.

Although some of World's Great Novels were occasionally repeated, they were never rebroadcasts. Popularly repeated novels were Gulliver's Travels, Vanity Fair, and The Rise of Silas Lapham. Presumably these were either by popular listener request, or repeated at the behest of a college or university employing the radio programs in their curricula. NBC University of The Air made bound pamphlets of the scripts for each season's episodes available for the cost of postage and handling--twenty-five cents for each season's listening guide and bound scripts. NBC employed this practice often throughout the Golden Age of Radio. They made similar listener guides available for their Best Plays and Great Plays canon as well as through other of their prestigious sustaining productions.

The newspapers of the era often cited references to The World's Great Novels as employed in higher education curricula throughout the U.S. and Canada. Apparently the intiative was also popular with high school teachers of the era.

There's no question that NBC's educational programming division held great sway within the corporation. The decisions regarding NBC University of The Air programming were apparently made at the highest levels, with the continuing goal of improving both the breadth and scope of the various productions each year between 1942 and 1948.

Indeed, if anything, NBC University of The Air was a victim of its own success with educators. As the demand for the educational programming increased, NBC focused more on doing the more prestigious works justice, once observing that if the series would continue beyond 1948, the network would demand far more than the "five to seven hours of rehearsal" that most of the productions had been allotting for each program.

In the end, it was determined that the quality of such productions was no longer sustainable in their existing format. NBC University of The Air ended, for all intents, with the last broadcasts of their U.N. themed NBC Inter-American University of The Air programs of 1947 and 1948. From that point forward, the NBC University of The Air became somewhat more commercialized or main-streamed with the introduction of the NBC Presents and NBC University productions from 1948, on.

Original Advert for the first edition of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

From the January 13 1945 edition of the Lima News:

"World's Greatest Novels "To Dramatize "The Spy"

James Fenimore Cooper's "The Spy" is dramatized on "The World's Great Novels" Saturday, over WEAF at 6 p.m. Lima time. Bennett Cerf, author, editor, publisher and radio commentator, will be commentator on the program.

"The Spy" was published in 1821. John Jay told Cooper the story of a spy, and he turned it into one of the most successful novels in the history of literature. It has been said that the book was written with extreme carelessness and that Cooper wrote the last chapter before he had finished the book to see how long it would run, and then he filled in the intermediate chapters. However, the novel immediately scored a prodigious success

The New York Public Library. And a tip of the hat to Jerry Haendiges for the helping us complete our collection of World's Great Novels.

Notes on Provenances:

The most helpful resources were newspaper listings and Jerry Haendiges.

OTRisms:

The Martin Grams' Radio Drama book is off by some eighteen episodes due to citing the Summer replacement American Novels run as part of The World's Great Novels canon.

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45-01-06 Wisconsin State Journal
6 p.m.--World's Great Novels (WIBA): "Pickwick Papers," Part IV, with Sir Gerald Campbell, minister plenipotentiary and special assistant to the British ambassador as guest commentator.

Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo" is dramatized on "The World's Great Novels" for four weeks starting Saturday, over WEAF at 6 p.m. Guest commentator is Andre Maurois, distinguished French Man-of-letters.

Laid in the year 1815, "The Count of Monte Cristo" stars as a story of romantic and exciting adventure. The second half is in a different key, sombre and filled with the motive of revenge. Dumas' splendid imagination, however, transfigures the book and its intensity persuades the reader that the is-possible is the actual.

45-02-03

16

The Count of Monte Cristo Part II

Y

[ 2nd Half only]

45-02-03 Lima News
Chapter Two of Alexandre Dumas' famed "Count of Monte Cristo" is the dramatization on "The World's Great Novels" Saturday over WEAF at 6 p.m. Guest commentator is Mme. Andre Maurois.

45-02-10

17

The Count of Monte Cristo Part III

Y

45-02-10 Lima News
6:00--The Great Novels, Drama--nbc.

45-02-17

18

The Count of Monte Cristo Part IV

Y

45-02-17 Lima News
6:00--The Great Novels, Drama--nbc.

Announces Jane Eyre next

45-02-23

19

Jane Eyre Part I

Y

[ Time Change]

45-02-23 Wisconsin State Journal
11:30 p.m.--World's Great Novels (WMAQ): new time and day; "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte.

45-04-13 Lockport Union-Sun
Eva LeGallienne, famed actress, continues as commentator for part 2 of Gustave Flaubert's "Madame Bovary," at 11:30 over WBEN in the series entitled "The World's Great Novels."

45-07-06 Salamanca Republican
NBC, 11:30, American Story by Archibald MacLeish, entire historical drama series of ten programs to be rebroadcast starting with Columbus' voyage to America and with MacLeish as narrator; replaces Great Novels. --17

45-09-07

--

--

45-09-07 Wisconsin State Journal
11:30 p.m.--The American Story (WMAQ): "Socorro, When Your Sons Forget," story of Jose Antonio Galan, rebel-patriot of Bogota.

[Moves to 8 a.m.]
45-10-05 Wisconsin State Journal
8 a.m.--World's Great Novels (WMAQ): "War and Peace" by Tolstoi; guest commentator, Louis Kronenberger of Time magazine.
Announces "Part 5 of Tolstoi's "War and Peace" as next

45-10-13

5

War and Peace Part 5

Y

45-10-12 Wisconsin State Journal
8 a.m.--World's Great Novels (WMAQ): "War and Peace."
Announces "6th and last chapter of Tolstoi's "War and Peace" as next

45-10-20

6

War and Peace Part 6

Y

45-10-19 Wisconsin State Journal
8 a.m.--World's Great Novels (WMAQ): Part 6, Tolstoi's "War and Peace;" guest commentator, Ernest J. Simmons, head of Russian department, Cornel university.
Announces "first of four radio chapters of Huckleberry Finn" as next

46-12-27 Wisconsin State Journal
11:30 p.m.--World's Great Novels (WMAQ): John Cannon in "Adventures of Sinbad."

47-01-03

10

Moby Dick Part 1

Y

47-01-03 Wisconsin State Journal
11:30 p.m.--World's Great Novels (WMAQ): Part I of "Moby Dick."

47-01-10

--

Pre-Empted

--

47-01-10 Wisconsin State Journal
11:30 p.m.--World Affairs Forum (WMAQ): "The Place of the United States in the American Family of Nations;" Rafael de La Colina, member of Mexican UN delegation; George Gorge Garcia Granados, ambassador from Guatemala.

11:45 p.m.--Cleveland Forum (WMAQ): Robert Crulkshank, editor, London News-Chronical; Ahmed Emin Talmen, editor of newspaper, Vatan, of Istanbul; John Scott, head of Time magazine Berlin Bureau.

[ Final World's Great Novels of the Second Season ; Replaced for the Summer by American Novels; Pere Goriot was a repeat from Season One of World's Great Novels--a last minute substitute owing to delaying American Novels by a week]

47-07-04

--

--

47-07-04 Hutchinson News Herald
7:00 American Novels Moby Dick.

47-07-04 New York Times
9-9:30--American Novels: Drama: "Moby Dick"--WNBC.

48-04-09 La Crosse Tribune
GREAT NOVELS program on the WKBH stations at 10:30 tonight will continue a dramatization of one of the great mystery stories of all time. The program is bringing to the air Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone," the story of a fabulous diamond that reputedly carries a curse with it.